Each week, we share the top five articles that caught our attention. Here are your must-reads, published here and abroad, for the week of September 4th 2017.
Creating a city of controlled chaos
Come the end of August, Burning Man materializes in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert like an oasis. Every year, festival organizers assemble (and take down) a city meant to house over 70,000 people, complete with larger-than-life art objects and wild architectural installations, in a span of two months. How do they make it happen? What can cities and urban planners learn from this feat?
→ Read it on Wired Pocket
The dog-ter is in
If you’ve ever asked your dog how its day was, fear not―you aren’t crazy. In fact, you’re not even weird. From consulting them for life advice to simply emphasizing how much of a “good boy” or “good girl” your furry friend is, most people have (one-way) conversations with their pets. The thing is, no matter how telling their nods, glares or tail wags may seem, pets have no idea what their humans are saying. So why do we keep talking to them?
→ Read it on The Atlantic Pocket
Breathing life into African tourism
Africa shines on Instagram. In fact, the platform is reinventing African tourism by showcasing a “road-less-traveled” version of its countries. Forget safaris and Moroccan rugs―accounts like Tastemakers Africa, Hip Africa and Visiter L’Afrique are giving the continent the love it deserves, all the while challenging ancient cultural preconceptions and offering travel tips.
→ Read it on Quartz Pocket
Where traditional meets digital
In 2016, Indians downloaded 6 billion mobile apps on Google Play—that’s a 71% increase over 2015—making India the top downloading country in the world. And considering that smartphone usage in India is hovering at 30%, the future of app downloads looks exceedingly bright. How will apps, including WhatsApp, Shaadi and Tinder impact Indian culture… and vice versa?
→ Read it on Ina Global (In French) Pocket
When celery was the hype
Now mostly spotted as a cocktail garnish, celery was once a luxury in the Victorian age, considered a centrepiece of every good dinner in wealthy households and a special holiday treat for more middle-class families. Celery was served on the Titanic. It had its own kind of vase. What made the crunchy crudité so exclusive?
→ Read it on Taste Pocket
In your earbuds: UnPodcast
Toronto-based Alison and Scott Stratten, co-authors of four best-selling books and co-owners of UnMarketing Inc, have also launched the UnPodcast. This series cuts through the plethora of bad business advice to deliver truly practical advice about experts, marketing/branding, public relations and customer service. The title says it all!
→ Listen to it on UnMarketing
This week’s favourite thing
Animals in their natural habitats. Young soldiers wielding guns too big for their hands. Refugees risking it all at sea. Montreal’s 12th-annual World Press Photo at Marché Bonsecours once again features breathtaking photos by renowned professional photographers the world over. Exhibition ends October 1, but you’ll want to visit more than once–don’t delay!
Image from Wired/Getty Images
